BUILDING CODE 

(ADVISORY) 

FOR TOWNS AND SMALL CITIES 



PUBLISHED BY 

STATE FIRE INSURANCE COMMISSION 
ENGINEERING DIVISION 


AUSTIN 








BUILDING CODE 

(ADVISORY) 

FOR TOWNS AND SMALL CITIES 



PUBLISHED BY 

STATE FIRE INSURANCE COMMISSION 
ENGINEERING DIVISION 



AUSTIN 

1922 


A65-622-2M-L 






LIBRARY OF CONGRFSS 1 
36CEIVE0 

NOV1S1&22 

DOCUMENTS DiViStOr 






FOREWORD 


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This advisory ordinance providing for fire limits and 
the construction and equipment of buildings is an 
abbreviation of modern requirements representing best 
practice in building construction. It has been com¬ 
piled with special reference to the needs of cities and 
towns having a population of 20,000 or less, and is 
designed to arrest present hazardous practices and 
to serve as a reasonable regulation of ordinary building 
construction in communities where congestion of 
values is not abnormal, . ; , 

Attention is directed to the fact that it does not 
constitute a Building Code in the sense in which that 
term is generally understood-; therefore, it must not 
be interpreted as a warrantable mini mum standard 
for cities, which by reason of present size, or rapid 
growth, obviously require higher safeguards for public 
safety. 

Neither completeness nor perfection is claimed for 
this ordinance, but it contains the advice and recom¬ 
mendations of numerous building experts and fire 
engineers. One of the constant thoughts has been to 
make the ordinance as brief in text and as broad in 
scope as is consistent with the limitations of its pur¬ 
pose. We believe that it will prove a reliable guide 
for safe building construction, and so recommend it. 

STATE FIRE INSURANCE COMMISSION. 


July 1, 1922. 







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AN ORDINANCE 


TO REGULATE THE CONSTRUCTION, ALTERA¬ 
TION, MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, AND RE¬ 
MOVAL OF BUILDINGS WITHIN THE 

CITY OF ., AND 

PRESCRIBING PENALTIES FOR 
VIOLATIONS. 

Be it ordained by the City Council or Commission of 
the City of. 

Section 1. Fire Limits.—The provisions of this or¬ 
dinance shall apply to and be co-extensive with the 
territory within the boundaries now designated, or 
which may hereafter be established as the fire limits 

of the city of.. except such provisions as are 

by special reference made applicable to all the territory 
within the corporate limits of said city, and the said 
fire limits as now established are hereby declared to 
be as follows: 

Beginning at. 


Section 2. New Buildings and Buildings to Be Al¬ 
tered.—No wall, structure, building, or part thereof, 

shall hereafter be constructed in the city of. 

except in conformity with the provisions of this ordi¬ 
nance. No building already erected or hereafter to be 
built in said city shall be raised, altered, removed, or 
built upon in any manner that would be in violation 
of any of the provisions of this ordinance, or the ap¬ 
proval issued thereunder. 

Section 3. Permit Required.—Before the erection, 
construction, or alteration of any building, structure, 
or wall, or of any part thereof, or of any platform, 
staging or flooring to be used for standing or seating 
purposes, is commenced the owner or lessee or agent 
of either, or the architect or builder employed by such 
owner or lessee in connection with the proposed erec¬ 
tion or alteration, shall apply to the Building Inspector 
for a permit to do such work. 

Structures hereafter erected without permit, or not 
in conformity with this ordinance, shall be removed. 

No building shall be moved until a permit has been 
obtained from the Building Inspector; and such official 










— 6 — 


shall not issue such permit if, in his judgment, the 
proposed new location of the building would seriously 
increase the fire hazard of the surrounding buildings. 

Each building permit shall recite this section. 

Section 4. Incombustible Walls, Cornices, and 
Roofs, Required Within Fire Limits.—Every building 
hereafter erected or enlarged within the fire limits 
shall be enclosed on all sides with walls constructed 
wholly of stone, well burned brick, terra cotta, concrete, 
or other equivalent incombustible materials; and shall 
have the roof, also the top and sides of all roof struc¬ 
tures, including dormer windows, covered with in¬ 
combustible material. All cornices shall be of in¬ 
combustible material. 

Section 5. Permissible Wooden Structures Within 
Fire Limits.—No frame or wooden structure shall here¬ 
after be built within the fire limits as given herein, or 
as they may hereafter be established, except the fol¬ 
lowing; and all roofs placed upon such buildings or 
structures shall have an incombustible covering: 

(a) Temporary one-story buildings for use of 
builders. 

(b) One-story sheds open on the long side, not over 
15 feet high, with sides covered with incombustible 
material, and with an area not exceeding 500 square 
feet. A wooden fence shall not be used to form the 
back or side of such sheds. 

(c) Wooden fences not over 10 feet high. 

(d) Piazzas or balconies not exceeding 10 feet in 
width, not extending more than 3 feet above the second- 
story floor beams. No such structure shall extend 
beyond the lot line, or be joined to any similar structure 
of another building. 

(e) Bay windows when covered with incombustible 
material. 

(f) Small outhouses not exceeding 150 square feet 
in area, and 8 feet in height. Wooden sheds or out¬ 
houses shall not be located within 5 feet of any lot 
line, nor less than 30 feet from any other building 
over one-story high. 

No frame building shall be moved from without to 
within the fire limits. 

Buildings with wooden frame work clad with sheet 
metal, stuccoed, or veneered with brick, shall be 
classed as frame buildings. 

Section 6. Repairing Frame Buildings Within Fire 
Limits.—Any existing frame building within the fire 


• 7 — 


limits, which may hereafter be damaged by fire, decay 
or otherwise to an amount greater than one-third of 
its present value, exclusive of the foundation, shall 
not be repaired or rebuilt, but shall be removed. 

Section 7. Fire-Resistive Buildings Required for 
Certain Occupancies Within Fire Limits.—No building 
within the fire limits shall hereafter be occupied as a 
public garage, automobile repair shop or dry cleaning 
establishment, unless it be of fireproof construction. 
Provided that buildings only one story in height may 
be so occupied if properly cut off from other occupancies, 
and if the floor is of non-combustible material. 

Section 8. Limits of Height and Area.—No build¬ 
ing hereafter erected or altered shall exceed three 
stories or 45 feet in height, unless it be of fireproof 
construction. 

The floor area between fire walls of non-fireproof 
buildings shall not exceed the following: When front¬ 
ing on one street, 6000 square feet; when fronting on 
two streets, 7500 square feet; and when fronting on 
three streets 9000 square feet. These area limits may 
be increased under the following conditions as indi¬ 
cated: 

For fireproof buildings, 100 per cent. 

For buildings fully equipped with an approved 
system of automatic sprinklers, 200 per cent. 

Section 9. Walls.—All exterior or division walls of 
buildings hereafter erected, shall be of sufficient thick¬ 
ness to support the load to be carried; but in no case 
shall a brick, stone, unreinforced concrete, or hollow 
block wall be less than 12 inches thick. Provided 
that, permit may be issued for the erection of buildings 
wfith 8-inch brick walls, where the area is small and 
the height not more than one story, if in the judgment 
of the Building Inspector such thickness will provide 
satisfactory fire-resistiveness for the occupancy in¬ 
volved. 

Walls, excepting party walls, for all buildings of 
other than the dwelling house class, shall have the upper 
story not less than 12 inches thick, increasing 4 inches 
in thickness for each two stories or fraction thereof 
below. No two-story increment shall exceed 30 feet 
in height. 

In all buildings, except dwellings, frame buildings, 
and skeleton construction, party walls which serve 
as bearing walls on both sides, shall be not less than 
16 inches thick in the upper two stories or upper 


- 10 - 


show windows, shall be protected as prescribed in 
this section when within 20 feet of another building. 

All exterior windows more than 75 feet above the 
curb, unless fronting on a street 30 feet or more in 
width, shall have incombustible frames and sash, 
with wired glass. 

Occupants of buildings shall close all exterior and 
interior fire doors, shutters and windows at the close 
of business each day. 

Section 13. Stairway and Elevator Shafts.—In all 
buildings, hereafter erected, except private dwellings, 
which are used above the first floor for business pur¬ 
pose or for public assemblage, or for any purpose what¬ 
ever if over three stories high, the stair shaft shall be 
separately and continuously enclosed by incombustible 
partitions. Open stairs may be permitted from the 
first .to the second floor for ornamental effect. Elevator 
shafts in all buildings hereafter erected shall be enclosed 
in the same manner. The enclosing partitions shall 
be constructed of brick or other fire-resistive material 
approved by the Building Inspector, and all mortar 
used in the construction shall be cement mortar. No 
such partition, if hollow, shall be less than 6 inches 
thick, no brick partition less than 8 inches thick, and 
no other solid partition less than 4 inches thick. 

If the building is of ordinary wood joisted con¬ 
struction, the stair, elevator, or hoistway shafts may 
be enclosed by approved hollow or solid partition 
blocks not less than 3 inches thick, set in Portland 
cement mortar; or by 4-inch stud partitions, covered 
on one side with not less than %-inch of Portland 
cement plaster on metal lath; or by other types of 
partitions of equivalent construction. All lath used 
for such partitions shall be of galvanized steel weighing 
not less than 54 ounces per square yard. Wire lath 
shall be not less than No. 20 gauge, and sheet metal 
lath not less than No. 24 gauge. All such partitions 
shall be fire-stopped with incombustible material the 
full depth of the floor beams at each floor level. 

All door openings in stair and elevator enclosures of 
fireproof buildings shall be protected by approved 
automatic or self-closing fire doors mounted with 
wrought iron or steel hardware, and shall be securely 
attached to the wall or partition, or to substantial in¬ 
combustible frames anchored thereto. If glass panels 
be used in such doors, they shall be of wired glass not 
exceeding 720 square inches in area; interior shaft 


- 11 - 


windows shall not be permitted. In buildings of non- 
fireproof construction the door openings in such en¬ 
closures shall be protected by either automatic or 
self-closing doors. 

Doors opening into stairway shaft shall swing in the 
direction of exit travel and shall be at least 36 inches 
wide. 

If, in the opinion of the Building Inspector, it is 
necessary to preserve an open elevator or hoistway in 
any building, the floor openings through which it 
passes shall be equipped with automatically closing 
trap doors not less than 1 inches thick, made of two 
thicknesses of matched boards, covered on the under¬ 
side with tin; the trap doors when closed shall extend 
beyond the opening on all sides. Such trap doors shall 
be protected by a substantial guard or gate, which 
shall be kept closed at all times except when in actual 
use. 

Section 14. Skylights Over Stairways and Elevator 
Shafts.—Where a stairway, elevator, or dumb waiter 
shaft extends through the roof and is covered by a 
skylight, the skylight shall be constructed with incom¬ 
bustible frame and sash, glazed with ordinary thin 
glass, and shall be protected by a galvanized wire 
screen with a mesh not exceeding one inch, and the 
wire not smaller than No. 12 gauge. The screen shall 
have metal supports and shall be placed not less than 
6 inches above the skylight. Instead of a skylight, a 
window may be placed in the side of the shaft above 
the roof which is furthest removed from a property 
line. The window shall have incombustible frame and 
sash, and be glazed with thin glass. 

Section 15. Floor Lights.—Except in dwellings, all 
openings hereafter made in floors for the transmission 
of light to floors below shall be covered with glass set 
in metal frames and bars. The glass shall be not less 
than %-inch i n thickness, and if any glass measures 
more than 16 square inches there shall be a rigid wire 
mesh either in the glass or under it. 

Section 16. Light, Vent and Dumb Waiter Shafts.— 
In every building hereafter erected or altered, except 
frame buildings, all walls or partitions forming in¬ 
terior light or vent shafts shall be built in accordance 
with the requirements for stair and elevator shafts in 
new buildings as specified in the first paragraph of 
Section 13. The walls of dumb waiter shafts, except 
those which extend only one story above the base- 


- 10 - 


show windows, shall be protected as prescribed in 
this section when within 20 feet of another building. 

All exterior windows more than 75 feet above the 
curb, unless fronting on a street 30 feet or more in 
width, shall have incombustible frames and sash, 
with wired glass. 

Occupants of buildings shall close all exterior and 
interior fire doors, shutters and windows at the close 
of business each day. 

Section 13. Stairway and Elevator Shafts.—In all 
buildings, hereafter erected, except private dwellings, 
which are used above the first floor for business pur¬ 
pose or for public assemblage, or for any purpose what¬ 
ever if over three stories high, the stair shaft shall be 
separately and continuously enclosed by incombustible 
partitions. Open stairs may be permitted from the 
first .to the second floor for ornamental effect. Elevator 
shafts in all buildings hereafter erected shall be enclosed 
in the same manner. The enclosing partitions shall 
be constructed of brick or other fire-resistive material 
approved by the Building Inspector, and all mortar 
used in the construction shall be cement mortar. No 
such partition, if hollow, shall be less than 6 inches 
thick, no brick partition less than 8 inches thick, and 
no other solid partition less than 4 inches thick. 

If the building is of ordinary wood joisted con¬ 
struction, the stair, elevator, or hoistway shafts may 
be enclosed by approved hollow or solid partition 
blocks not less than 3 inches thick, set in Portland 
cement mortar; or by 4-inch stud partitions, covered 
on one side with not less than %-inch 0 f Portland 
cement plaster on metal lath; or by other types of 
partitions of equivalent construction. All lath used 
for such partitions shall be of galvanized steel weighing 
not less than 54 ounces per square yard. Wire lath 
shall be not less than No. 20 gauge, and sheet metal 
lath not less than No. 24 gauge. All such partitions 
shall be fire-stopped with incombustible material the 
full depth of the floor beams at each floor level. 

All door openings in stair and elevator enclosures of 
fireproof buildings shall be protected by approved 
automatic or self-closing fire doors mounted with 
wrought iron or steel hardware, and shall be securely 
attached to the wall or partition, or to substantial in¬ 
combustible frames anchored thereto. If glass panels 
be used in such doors, they shall be of wired glass not 
exceeding 720 square inches in area; interior shaft 


11 - 


windows shall not be permitted. In buildings of non- 
fireproof construction the door openings in such en¬ 
closures shall be protected by either automatic or 
self-closing doors. 

Doors opening into stairway shaft shall swing in the 
direction of exit travel and shall be at least 36 inches 
wide. 

If, in the opinion of the Building Inspector, it is 
necessary to preserve an open elevator or hoistway in 
any building, the floor openings through which it 
passes shall be equipped with automatically closing 
trap doors not less than 13 ^ inches thick, made of two 
thicknesses of matched boards, covered on the under¬ 
side with tin; the trap doors when closed shall extend 
beyond the opening on all sides. Such trap doors shall 
be protected by a substantial guard or gate, which 
shall be kept closed at all times except when in actual 
use. 

Section 14. Skylights Over Stairways and Elevator 
Shafts.—-Where a stairway, elevator, or dumb waiter 
shaft extends through the roof and is covered by a 
skylight, the skylight shall be constructed with incom¬ 
bustible frame and sash, glazed with ordinary thin 
glass, and shall be protected by a galvanized wire 
screen with a mesh not exceeding one inch, and the 
wire not smaller than No. 12 gauge. The screen shall 
have metal supports and shall be placed not less than 
6 inches above the skylight. Instead of a skylight, a 
window may be placed in the side of the shaft above 
the roof which is furthest removed from a property 
line. The window shall have incombustible frame and 
sash, and be glazed with thin glass. 

Section 15. Floor Lights.—Except in dwellings, all 
openings hereafter made in floors for the transmission 
of light to floors below shall be covered with glass set 
in metal frames and bars. The glass shall be not less 
than %-inch in thickness, and if any glass measures 
more than 16 square inches there shall be a rigid wire 
mesh either in the glass or under it. 

Section 16. Light, Vent and Dumb Waiter Shafts.— 
In every building hereafter erected or altered, except 
frame buildings, all walls or partitions forming in¬ 
terior light or vent shafts shall be built in accordance 
with the requirements for stair and elevator shafts in 
new buildings as specified in the first paragraph of 
Section 13. The walls of dumb waiter shafts, except 
those which extend only one story above the base- 


— 12 — 


ment or cellar, shall be of fire-resistive construction, 
and shall be not less than 3 inches thick if constructed 
of brick, hollow or solid partition blocks or of steel 
studding and metal lath with %-inch of Portland 
cement plaster on each side; or a 2-inch solid metal 
lath and Portland cement plaster wall may be per¬ 
mitted, if securely anchored at each floor. 

Where a dumb waiter shaft does not extend through 
the roof the top of the shaft shall be of fire-resistive 
construction of the same thickness as the walls of the 
shaft. 

All openings in dumb waiter shafts shall be pro¬ 
tected by doors mounted in incombustible frames 
securely anchored to the walls. 

The walls of all light and vent shafts hereafter 
erected shall extend not less than 2 feet above the roof 
level. Masonry walls shall be properly coped. 

Section 17. Roof Covering.—Every building here¬ 
after erected within the corporate limits shall have an 
incombustible roof covering, and no existing wooden 
shingle roof, if damaged more than one-third, shall 
be renewed or repaired with other than incombustible 
roof covering. All incombustible roofing material 
used must meet the approval of the Building Inspector. 

Section 18. Roof Openings.—All openings in roofs 
for the admission of light or air, other than those pro¬ 
vided for in Sections 14 and 16, shall have incom¬ 
bustible frames and sash with wired glass. 

Section 19. Exits Required.—The term “floor area” 
as used in this section shall mean the entire floor 
space between exterior walls and fire walls. 

In every building hereafter erected, except in private 
dwellings, each floor area above the first shall be pro¬ 
vided with at least two means of egress remote from 
each other. 

All exit doors in schools, hospitals, theaters and 
other places of public assemblage shall open outwards. 

The means of egress in all buildings three or more 
stories in height and so occupied as to bring them 
within the purview of the State Fire Escape Law, shall 
conform to said State law and the specifications pro¬ 
mulgated thereunder, and the Building Inspector shall 
not grant a permit, as provided in Section 3 of this 
ordinance, for the erection of any building unless the 
plans and specifications for egress in such building 
shall conform to the requirements of the State Fire 
Escape Law. 


-13- 


Section 20. Moving Picture Theaters. —The Build¬ 
ing Inspector shall not grant a permit for the erection 
or alteration of any building to be used as a moving 
picture theater, or in which moving pictures are to be 
exhibited, within the corporate limits, unless the plans 
and specifications for the installation and operation of 
said moving picture theater, or for the exhibition of 
moving pictures, shall conform to the rules and regu¬ 
lations promulgated by the State Fire Marshal for 
safeguarding against fire and panic. 

A copy of said rules and regulations, as approved by 
the State Fire Marshal, shall be kept on file by the 
city secretary, and be subject to inspection as a public 
document of the city. 

The Building Inspector or the City Fire Marshal 
shall make weekly inspection of each and every moving 
picture theater or place where moving pictures are ex¬ 
hibited, for the purpose of ascertaining if the rules 
and regulations for safety against fire and panic are 
being violated. In the event said rules and regulations 
are not conformed to with respect to the arrangement 
of the building, and the installation and operation of 
all the equipment incident to the operation of said mov¬ 
ing picture theater, or the exhibition of moving pic¬ 
tures, the city electrician, the Building Inspector, or 
the city fire marshal, is hereby empowered to cut off 
all electrical current from the room or building, and 
the supply of electrical current shall not be restored 
by anyone until all of said rules and regulations for 
safety against fire and panic are complied with. 

Section 21. Fire Stops.—At each floor level, in all 
buildings hereafter erected, all stud walls, partitions, 
furrings and spaces between joists where they rest on 
division walls or partitions shall be fire-stopped with 
incombustible material in a manner to completely cut 
off communication by fire through concealed spaces. 
Such fire-stopping shall extend the full depth of the 
joists and at least 4 inches above each floor level. Stair 
carriages shall be fire-stopped at least once in the mid¬ 
dle portion of each run. 

Section 22. Areaways.— All areaways shall be 
guarded with suitable railing, or be protected by in¬ 
combustible covers or gratings. If gratings be used, 
they shall have a wire screen of not more than 3^-inch 
mesh securely attached to the underside. 

Areaways shall not project beyond the building line. 

Section 23. Frame Buildings. —No frame building 


-14- 


hereafter erected or altered, in corporate limits, shall 
exceed two stories or 30 feet in height, except that 
private dwellings may be three stories or 40 feet high. 

No frame building hereafter erected for any occu¬ 
pancy other than for temporary exhibition purposes, 
shall cover a ground area exceeding 7500 square feet. 

In no'case shall a frame building be erected within 
3 feet of the side or rear lot line, nor within 6 feet of 
another building, unless the space between the studs 
on such side be filled solidly with not less than 2J4 
inches of brick work or other equivalent incombustible 
material. 

In rows of frame houses, the dividing walls or par¬ 
titions between houses shall be built of brick, terra 
cotta, concrete or other incombustible material; or 
they may be built with 4-inch studs, filled solidly with 
brick work laid in mortar, or with other incombustible 
material. If lath be used on such partitions, it shall 
be metal lath. Such dividing partitions shall rest on 
masonry walls and shall extend to underside of roof 
boards. A flush mortar joint shall be made between 
the roof boards and the wall or partition. 

Buildings with wooden frame work clad with sheet 
metal, stuccoed, or veneered with brick, shall be 
classed as frame buildings. 

Outside the fire limits, when any building is to be 
erected of brick, stone, hollow block, or concrete, and 
could under this ordinance be constructed of wood, the 
Building Inspector is hereby authorized and directed 
to allow reasonable modifications of this ordinance re¬ 
lating to brick buildings, in consideration of the use 
of incombustible material instead of wood. Such modi¬ 
fications, however, shall not permit variations from the 
requirement of Sections 13, 19 and 26 of this ordinance. 

Section 24. Electrical Installations.—All electrical 
installations shall be in accordance with the rules and 
regulations promulgated by the State Fire Insurance 
Commission, and no installation of electrical equip¬ 
ment shall be made, except in conformity thereto. 

Section 25. Chimneys and Fireplaces.—Except as 
herein provided, all chimneys in every building here¬ 
after erected, and all chimneys hereafter altered or 
rebuilt, shall be constructed of brick, stone, or rein¬ 
forced concrete. No masonry chimney shall have walls 
less than 8 inches thick unless it be lined on the inside 
with well burned terra cotta or fire-clay chimney tile 
set in Portland cement mortar, in which case the wall 


—15— 


shall be not less than 4 inches thick. The lining shall 
be continuous from the bottom of the flue to its ex¬ 
treme height. 

No chimney shall be corbeled out more than 8 inches 
from a brick wall, and such corbeling shall consist of 
at least five courses of brick. 

Brick set on edge shall not be permitted in chimney 
construction. 

Chimneys of all low-pressure boilers, or furnaces, 
also the smoke flues for baker’s ovens, large cooking 
ranges, large laundry stoves, and all flues used for 
similar purposes, shall be at least 8 inches in thick¬ 
ness and be lined continuously on the inside with well- 
burned terra cotta or fire-clay chimney tile set in Port¬ 
land cement mortar. All such chimneys shall be capped 
with terra cotta, stone, concrete, or cast iron. 

The smoke flue of every high-pressure steam boiler> 
and every appliance producing a corresponding tem¬ 
perature in a flue, if built of brick, stone, reinforced 
concrete, or other approved masonry, shall have walls 
not less than 12 inches thick, and the inside 4 inches 
of such walls shall be fire-brick, laid in fire mortar, 
for a distance of at least 25 feet from the point where 
the smoke connection of the boiler enters the flue. 

All chimneys shall project at least 3 feet above the 
point of contact with a flat roof, or 2 feet above the 
ridge of a pitched roof. 

Portland cement mortar only shall be used in the 
construction of chimneys. 

No chimney in any building shall have wooden sup¬ 
ports of any kind. Supports shall be incombustible 
and shall rest upon the ground or the foundation. 

All chimneys which are dangerous from any cause 
shall be repaired, and made safe, or taken down. 

Metal smokestacks may be permitted for boilers, 
furnaces, and similar apparatus where large hot fires are 
used, provided they have a clearance from all combusti¬ 
ble material of not less than one-half the diameter 
of the stack, but not less than 15 inches, unless the 
combustible material be properly guarded by loose- 
fitting metal shields, in which case the distance shall 
be not less than 12 inches. Where such a stack passes 
through a roof, it shall be guarded by a galvanized 
iron ventilating thimble extending from at least 9 
inches below the underside of the ceiling or roof bea ms 
to at least 9 inches above the roof, and the diameter 
of the ventilating thimble shall be not less than 36 


16- 


inches greater than that of the smokestack. Metal 
smokestacks shall not be permitted to pass through 
floors. 

The fireback of every fireplace hereafter erected shall 
be not less than 8 inches in thickness of solid brick 
work, nor less than 12 inches of stone lined with fire 
brick. When a grate is set in a fireplace, a lining of 
fire brick at least 2 inches in thickness shall be added 
to the fireback; or soapstone, tile or cast iron may be 
used, if solidly backed with brick or concrete. 

All flue holes when not in use shall be closed with 
tight-fitting metal covers. 

Section 26. Wooden Beams Separated from Masonry 
Chimneys. —No wooden beams or joists shall be placed 
within 2 inches of the outside face of a chimney or 
flue, whether the same be for smoke, air, or any other 
purpose. 

No woodwork shall be within 4 inches of the back 
wall of any fireplace. 

All spaces between the chimney and the wooden 
beams shall be solidly filled with mortar, mineral wool, 
or other incombustible material. 

The header beam, carrying the tail beams of a floor, 
and supporting the trimmer arch in front of a fire¬ 
place, shall be not less than 20 inches from the chimney 
breast. 

No wooden furring or studding shall be placed against 
any chimney; the plastering shall be directly on the 
masonry, or on metal lathing. 

Woodwork fastened to plaster which is against the 
masonry of a chimney shall have a layer of asbestos 
board at least |-inch thick placed between the wood¬ 
work and the plaster. 

Section 27. Smoke Pipes. —No smoke pipe shall be 
within 9 inches of any woodwork or any wooden lath 
and plaster partition or ceiling. 

Where smoke pipes pass through a wooden lath and 
plaster partition, they shall be guarded by galvanized 
iron ventilated thimbles at least 12 inches larger in 
diameter than the pipes, or by galvanized iron thimbles 
built in at least 8 inches of brick work or other in¬ 
combustible material. 

No smoke pipe shall pass through any floor, or a 
roof having wooden frame work or covering. 

Section 28. Hot Air Pipes and Registers. — All 
heater pipes from hot air furnaces where passing 
through combustible partitions, or floors, must be 


—17 


doubled tin pipes with at least 1-inch air space between 
them. Horizontal hot air pipes leading from furnace 
shall be not less than 6 inches from any woodwork, 
unless the woodwork be covered with loose-fitting tin, 
or the pipe covered with at least 34-inch of corrugated 
asbestos, in which latter cases the distance from the 
woodwork may be reduced to not less than 3 inches. 

No hot air pipe shall be placed in a wooden stud 
partition or any wooden enclosure unless it be at least 
8 feet horizontal distance from the furnace. Hot air 
pipes contained in combustible partitions shall be 
placed inside another pipe arranged to maintain 34-inch 
air space between the two on all sides, or be securely 
covered with 34-inch of corrugated asbestos. Neither 
the outer pipe nor the covering shall be within 1 inch 
of wooden studding, and no wooden lath shall be used to 
cover the portion of the partition in which the hot air 
pipe is located. Hot air pipes in closets shall be 
doubled, with a space of at least 1 inch between them 
on all sides. 

Every hot air furnace shall have at least one regis¬ 
ter without valve or louvres. 

A register located over a brick furnace shall be sup¬ 
ported by a brick shaft built up from the cover of the 
hot-air chamber; said shaft shall be lined with a metal 
pipe; and no woodwork shall be within 3 inches of 
the outer face of the shaft. 

A register box placed in the floor over a portable 
furnace shall have an open space around it of not less 
than 4 inches on all sides, and be supported by an in¬ 
combustible border. 

Hot air registers placed in any woodwork or combus¬ 
tible floors shall be surrounded with borders of incom¬ 
bustible material, not less than 2 inches wide, securely 
set in place. 

The register boxes shall be of metal, and be double; 
the distance between the two shall be not less than 1 
inch; or they may be single if covered with asbestos 
not less than f-inch in thickness, and if all woodwork 
within 2 inches be covered with tin. 

Cold air ducts for hot air furnaces shall be made of 
incombustible material. 

Section 29. Steam and Hot Water Pipes.— No 
steam or hot water pipe shall be within 1 inch of any 
woodwork. Every steam or hot water pipe passing 
through combustible floors, or ceilings, or wooden lath 
and plaster partitions, shall be protected by a metal 


•18- 


tube 1 inch larger in diameter than the pipe and be 
provided with a metal cap. All wooden boxes, or 
casings enclosing steam or hot water heating pipes, or 
wooden covers to recesses in walls in which steam or 
hot water heating pipes are placed, shall be lined with 
metal. 

Section 30. Dry Rooms.—No combustible material 
shall be permitted in the construction of any dry room 
hereafter erected, in which a temperature of 125 degrees 
Fahr. or over may exist. If a temperature under 
125 degrees Fahr. is to be used, the dry room may be 
constructed of wood, but it shall be lined throughout 
with |-inch asbestos, covered with sheet metal. 

If windows are placed in walls or ceilings of dry 
rooms they shall be of wired glass set in fixed incom¬ 
bustible sash and frames. 

Section 31. Stoves and Ranges.—No kitchen range 
or stove in any building shall be placed less than 3 
feet from any woodwork or wooden lath and plaster 
partition, unless the woodwork or partition is properly 
protected by metal shields, in which case the distance 
shall be not less than 18 inches. Metal shields shall 
be loosely attached, thus preserving an air space be¬ 
hind them. 

Hotel and restaurant ranges shall be provided with 
a metal hood, placed at least 9 inches below any wooden 
lath and plaster or wooden ceiling, and have an indi¬ 
vidual pipe outlet connected with a good brick flue. 
The pipe shall be protected by at least 1 inch of as¬ 
bestos covering, or its equivalent. 

Combustible floors under coal ranges and similar ap¬ 
pliances without legs, such as mentioned in Section 
32, in which hot fires are maintained, shall be protected 
by a sheet of metal, or a 3^-inch layer of abestos build¬ 
ing lumber, which shall be covered with not less than 
4 inches of masonry set in cement mortar. Such ma¬ 
sonry shall consis of one course of 4-inch hollow terra 
cotta, of two courses of brick or terra cotta, at least 
one of which shall be hollow and be laid to preserve a 
free circulation of air throughout the whole course. 
Concrete may be substituted for a course of solid brick 
if desired. The masonry work shall be covered by 
sheet metal of not less than No. 26 gauge, so arranged as 
not to obstruct the ventilating passages beneath. Such 
hearths shall extend at least 24 inches in front and 12 
inches on the sides and back of the range or similar 
heating appliance. 


-19- 


All coal stoves or ranges, with legs, shall be set on 
incombustible material, which shall extend at least 12 
inches in front. 

Section 32. Heating Furnaces and Appliances.—Any 
woodwork, wooden lath and plaster partition or ceil¬ 
ing within 4 feet of the sides or back, or 6 feet from 
the front of any heating boiler, furnace, bakery oven, 
coffee roaster, fire-heated candy kettle, laundry stove, 
or other similar appliance, shall be covered with metal 
to a height of at least 4 feet above the floor. This 
covering shall extend the full length of the boiler, fur¬ 
nace, or heating appliance, and to at least 5 feet in 
front of it. Metal shields shall be loosely attached, 
thus preserving an air space behind them. In no case 
shall such combustible construction be permitted within 
2 feet of the sides or back of the heating appliance, 
or 5 feet in front of same. 

No furnace, boiler, range, or other heating appliance 
shall be placed against a wall furred with wood. 

Heating boilers shall be encased on sides and top 
by an incombustible protective covering not less than 
l ]/2 inches thick. 

Section 33. Open-Flame Heating Devices.—All gas, 
gasoline, oil, or charcoal-burning stoves or heating de¬ 
vices, shall be placed on iron stands at least 6 inches 
above combustible supports, unless the burners are at 
least 5 inches above the base, with metal guard plates 
4 inches below the burners. 

No open-flame heating or lighting device shall be 
used in any room where gasoline or other volatile in¬ 
flammable fluids are stored or handled. 

Section 34. Gas Connections.—Gas connections to 
stoves and similar heating devices shall be made of 
rigid metal pipes. For small portable gas heating de¬ 
vices, flexible metal or rubber tubing may be used 
when there is no valve or other shut-off on the device. 

Section 35. Trash Receptacles.—All receptacles for 
ashes, trash, garbage and refuse shall be of galvanized 
iron or other incombustible material. 

Section 36. Vent Flues.—Vent flues or ducts, for 
the removal of foul or vitiated air, in which the tempera¬ 
ture of the air cannot exceed that of the rooms, shall 
be constructed of metal or other incombustible mate¬ 
rial, and shall not be placed nearer than 1 inch to any 
woodwork, and no such flue shall be used for any other 
purpose. 

Section 37. Safety of Design.—All parts of every 


— 20 - 


building shall be designed to safely carry the loads to 
be imposed thereon, and shall in all other respects con¬ 
form to good engineering practice. 

Section 38. Unsafe Buildings.—Every building, 
structure, or part thereof, which shall appear to the 
Building Inspector to be dangerous, by reason of bad 
condition of walls, defective construction, overloaded 
floors, lack of guards against fire or other causes, shall 
be held to be unsafe. The Building Inspector shall 
immediately notify the owner or lessee to cause the 
same to be made safe, and shall also affix a notice of the 
dangerous character of the structure in a conspicuous 
place on the exterior wall of such building, and no 
person shall remove or deface such notice so affixed. 
The owner or party having an interest in such unsafe 
building or structure, being notified thereof in writing 
by the Building Inspector, shall immediately cause the 
same to be made safe and secure, and if any such 
building shall be used for any purpose requiring a 
license therefor, the mayor may revoke said license on 
neglect of the owner to comply with the notice served 
as herein provided. Where the public safety requires 
immediate action, the Building Inspector may enter 
upon the premises, with such assistance as may be nec¬ 
essary, and cause the said structure to be made secure 
or torn down and removed without delay, at the ex¬ 
pense of such owner or party interested. The Build¬ 
ing Inspector is hereby given full power to order the 
fire department to assist in such work. 

Section 39. Duties of Enforcing Officer. — The 
Building Inspector is hereby authorized and empowered: 

First. To enforce all ordinances relating to the con¬ 
struction, equipment, management, and condition of all 

property within said city of.; and it is hereby 

made the duty of the departments of police, health, 
and fire to assist in the enforcement of this ordinance, 
and each of these departments shall, so far as possi¬ 
ble, act in connection with the Building Inspector in 
such enforcement. 

Second. To supervise the construction or recon¬ 
struction of all buildings. 

Third. To report monthly to the mayor or city 
council regarding the condition of the town on all 
matters pertaining to fire prevention. 

Section 40. Penalty for Violations.—Any and all 
persons who shall violate any of the provisions of this 
ordinance or fail to comply therewith, or who shall 



— 21 — 


violate or fail to comply with any order or regulation 
made thereunder, or who shall build in violation of 
any detailed statement or specifications or plans sub¬ 
mitted and approved thereunder, or any certificate or 
permit issued thereunder, shall severally for each and 
every such violation and non-compliance, respectively, 
forfeit and pay a penalty in the sum of not less than 
ten nor more than one hundred dollars. The imposi¬ 
tion of one penalty for any violation of this ordinance 
shall not excuse the violation, or permit it to continue; 
and all such persons shall be required to correct or 
remedy such violations or defects within a reasonable 
time; and when not otherwise specified each ten days 
that prohibited conditions are maintained shall consti¬ 
tute a separate offense. 

The application of the above penalty shall not be 
held to prevent the enforced removal of prohibited con¬ 
ditions, as provided in Section 3 of this ordinance. 

Section 41. Conflicting Ordinances Repealed.—All 
ordinances and parts of ordinances inconsistent here¬ 
with are hereby repealed. 

Section 42. Date of Effect.—This ordinance shall 
take effect and be in force from and after its passage 
and legal publication. 







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INDEX 


Section 

Area, Limits for Buildings. 8 

Areaways. 22 

Alteration to Buildings. Z 

Buildings, Altered. 2 

Buildings, Concrete. 10 

Buildings, Frame, Defined. 5 

Buildings, Frame, within Fire Limits. 5 

Buildings, Frame, within Corporate Limits. 23 

Buildings, Limits of Height and Area. ..8 

Buildings with Prohibited Occupancies within Fire 

Limits. 7 

Buildings, New. 2 

Buildings, Unsafe. 38 

Chimneys.25, 26 

Chimneys, Separated from Wooden Beams. 26 

Concrete Construction. 10 

Conflicting Ordinances Repealed. 41 

Cornices, Incombustible Required. 4 

Dry Rooms, Construction of. 30 

Dumb Waiter Shafts. 16 

Duties of Enforcing Officer. 39 

Ends of Wooden Beams, How Protected... 11 

Electrical Installations. 24 

Elevator Shafts.13, 14 

Enforcing Officer. 39 

Exits. 19 


Fire Limits Designated. 

Fire Limits, Buildings with Prohibited Occupancies. 
Fire Limits, Repairs to Frame Buildings within. . . 
Fire Limits, Walls, Cornices, and Roofs Required.. 
Fire Limits, Wooden Structures Permitted within. . 

Fire Escapes.. 

Fireplaces.. 

Fire Stops... 

Floor Lights. 

Flues, Vent. 

Flues. See Chimneys. 

Furnaces, Heating... 


1 

7 

6 

4 

5 
19 
25 
21 
15 
36 
25 
32 


Gas Connections 


34 




































-24- 


Section 

Heating Devices, Open-flame. 33 

Heating Furnaces and Appliances. 32 

Height, Limits to Buildings. 8 

Hot Air Pipes. 28 

Hot Water Pipes. 29 

Incombustible Walls, Cornices, and Roofs Required 4 

Installation, Electrical Equipment. 24 

Installation, Moving Picture Theater. 20 

Lights, Floor. 15 

Lights, Moving Picture Theater. 20 

Lights, Vent and Dumb Waiter Shafts. 16 

Limits, Height and Area of Buildings. 8 

Moving Picture Theaters. 20 

Moving Buildings from without to within Fire 
Limits. 5 

Occupancies Prohibited within Fire Limits. 7 

Open-flame Heating Devices. 33 

Openings, Wall, How Protected. 12 

Ordinances, Conflicting, Repealed. 41 

Ordinance, Date of Effect. 42 

Ordinance, Penalty for Violation. 40 

Penalty for Violating Ordinance. 40 

Permissible Wooden Structures within Fire Limits.. 5 

Permits Required. 3 

Pipes, Hot Air. 28 

Pipes, Smoke. 27 

Pipes, Steam and Hot Water. 29 

Protection of Wall Openings. 12 

Protection, Ends of Wooden Beams. 11 

Ranges. 31 

Receptacles, Trash. 35 

Registers, Hot Air. 28 

Roofs, Incombustible, Required within Fire and 


Roof Openings, Light or Air. 18 

Roof Openings, Protected Around Smokestack. ... 25 
Repairs to Frame Buildings within Fire Limits. ... 6 

Safety of Design. 37 

Skylights.14, 15, 18 



































— 25 — 


Section 

Smoke Pipes. 27 

Stairway Shafts. 13 

Steam Pipes. 29 

Stoves. 31 

Trash Receptacles. 35 

Unsafe Buildings. 38 

Vent Flues. 36 

Walls...4, 9, 10 

Wall Openings, How Protected. 12 
























































































































































































































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